Baron Spotlight: Henry Trinh

By Donald Chan, Managing Editor

Senior Henry Trinh has a passion for history and politics. As an avid member of FVHS\’ Model United Nations, Trinh serves as Secretary-General and teaches members more about the organization. He plans on majoring in history in college.

Baron Banner: Why do history and politics appeal to you?

Henry Trinh: Well, first I have to say I\’m more of a history buff than a politician, but that doesn\’t mean I\’m an apathetic idiot. I do know what I\’m talking about. History and politics are very closely related. A politician that doesn\’t know his or her history is pretty much a traveler without a map. You really have no idea where you\’re going. History is just plain exciting. All the wars, scandals, explorations, movements, etc. are all extremely interesting and not made up like in your English classes.

BB: What are your political views?

HT: I tend to be more of a conservative. I don\’t support Obama on most of his policies. It\’s all idealistic but no show. For example, within a week of his inauguration, he signed an executive order to close down Guantanamo Bay prison. Has it been closed down yet after a year? Nope. Obama is nothing more than a backseat driver.

BB: What has influenced you to develop those views?

HT: Most of my views are based on my studies in history. If you ask a person why we study history, she would usually answer that we study history because we should learn about our mistakes in the past so we don\’t make them again. That is only half the answer. We should also study history because it shows us all the things we did right, so we can do it again. For example, Japan and Germany used to be our enemies, but today they are our closest allies. This is because we destroyed their countries and helped them rebuild. (laughs) That doesn\’t really sound too smart, but it works. Iraq is probably going down the same path right now.

BB: What do you think of the other side?

HT: I believe that the liberal side does put up a strong argument but like I said earlier, all talk no action. We can\’t be the greatest nation in the world without stepping on other people. That\’s just how life works.

BB: Who is your favorite U.S. president?

HT: Andrew Jackson, hands down. He was probably the Chuck Norris of his time. People would say that Jesus was just another Andrew Jackson.

BB: What do you think of Obama\’s healthcare bill?

HT: Two words: class conflict. The people who want cheap health care are the people not paying for it, and the people who don\’t want it are the ones paying for it. It\’s the classic war between the haves and the have-nots. Your side depends on your situation. I will probably never be rich, but I hate the idea of someone else paying for a product that I\’m using; that\’s why I\’m not supporting this bill. Canadians come to this country to get specialized medical operations because we have them. You get what you pay for. That\’s life. That\’s the free market!

BB: What does the government need to do to improve our economy?

HT: The government can help ease people\’s suffering and a safety net isn\’t a bad idea, but for the most part, historically the private sector has always done a better job at producing things at better quality and more efficiently. There should be some government intervention to stop unethical business practices, but too many regulations can also be a bad thing.